Bathrooms and showers stalls are often provided with tiled floors especially in higher end homes. In shower stalls, a drain is typically placed in or near the center of the stall and the floor is sloped slightly towards the center drain to ensure the water runs into the drain as opposed to sitting on the floor or seeping into the structure at the intersection of the floor with the stall walls.
As can be appreciated, tiling a floor that slopes in different directions towards the center of the stall can be difficult and time consuming especially if localized reversed slopes and other slope anomalies are to be avoided. The problem can be especially acute when large-sized tiles (6″×6″, 8″×8″, 12″×12″ and larger) are utilized. Often it is necessary to cut the tiles on a diagonal where two slopes running in different directions intersect.
Center drains and the associated tiles sloping in multiple directions can be distracting and otherwise detract from the visual and aesthetic presentation of a high end shower stall.
Elongated drains that are located a one edge of a stall thereby facilitating a floor that slopes primarily in a single direction are known. However, these drains still require floor grates that are readily visible and can detract from the overall visual appeal of a stall particularly at the transition from floor to an adjoining wall.